Amphibian airplane



/ 1,617,816 Feb. 15, 1921. G LOENING AMPHIBIAN AIRPLANE Filed April 16. 1926 2 sheets-Sheet 1 INVE/VTUH 5 C BY I ATTOHNE Feb. 15, 1927. 1,617,816

G. C. LOENING AMPHIBIAN AIRPLANE Filed April 16, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 j IN VE N TOR if A TTORA/E Patented Feb. 15, 1927..

GROVER C. LOENING, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

AMPI-IIBIAN AIRPLANE.

Application filed April 16, 1926. Serial No. 102,370.

The invention relates to amphibian airplanes, for example such asdisclosed in my Patent-No. 1,545,505, dated July 14, 1925, designed to land or alight on, and rise from, land or water, irrespective of conditions, also, of mud, sand, snow, vegetable growtl1s,.etc., one and the same machine being at, home under all terrestrial conditions ,for which land-planes or seaplanes may, respectively, be adapted, without complication or loss of efficiency in either field. The purpose of the present invention is to provide in such a machine a combination affording a landing- (and take-off) gear of very great simplicity and efficiency for all purposes, which is equally a protection for the side-floats and hull on land or, in the water, against floating ice and driftwood.

In the accompanying drawing illustrating the invention, and forming part hereof:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a machine embodying the invention, with the propeller omitted; and p Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof.

The machine is of the kind having a central boat-body 2 and side-floats 3, supported from and beneath the outer portions of the Wings 4 which extend laterally from the body, the bottoms of the floats being considerably above the level of the bottom of the boat body. As my patent aforesaid, the forward ortion 5 of the central hull is shown exten ed forward as a nose below the tractor propeller 6, the latter being driven by an inverted engine 7 on the forward part of the upward extension 8 of the hull.

In the center line of the hull, approximate- 1y at the center of gravity, a single downwardly-openin wheelpocket 9 is. formed, and in this poo et there is mounted a single, very substantial landing-wheel 10. This wheel, provided with a large pneumatic tire 11, nee yieldingly mounted, and in any eventis a fixed-position, i. e., non-retractible, wheel, all the complication and possible uncertainty of retractible landing gears being avoided, at the same time the hull structure and its in ternal arrangements are simplified and improved by having only one wheel pocket. A housing 12 extended downward from the hull part way in frontof the central wheel reduces water drag.

Su ported with each of the under-wing sideoats 3, by the same framing and not, and preferably is not, otherwise brackets, is a stream-line staff 13. .Each of these staves is shown universally pivoted at 14 at the forward lower corner of the framing 15 of its float, the upper part of the staff being restrained by elastics 16, and

,the lower part curving downward and rearstand the maximum wear in the service of the staves as runners upon the ground.

The staves function in the water as guards or fenders for the side-floats against ice and drift-wood and save their bottomsand under keels from injury on rocky beaches and in the rough on land. Also, the central wheel constitutes a guard for the under keel of the main hullyits slight projection adding inconsequentially to head-resistance in the air or to drag in the water. In'landing on land, the staves act as balancers in conjunction with the central wheel, giving a better landing than two-wheel gears, particularly when landing in a cross wind, the balancing checks acting first at one side and then at the other. The elevated positions of the side-float staves relative to thepenter-wheel in the hull like- Wise avoids undue drag either when hydroplaning off the water or when taking off on and. The central wheel permits the machine to be readily pivoted about, and its size and manner of support in the hull prevents sinking in to more than slight depth in soft sand or mud.

What I claim as new is:

1. In an amphibian airplane, the com bination of a central flotation body having a central wheel pocket, a central landingwheel supported in said pocket, side-floats supported from and beneath the wings, and side-float protection members mounted with the side-floats to serve alternately as landing bal-ancers in conjunction with the central wheel, substantially as set forth.-

2. In an amphibian airplane, the combination of a central flotation body having a central'wheel pocket, acentral landing- Q Lemme Wheel supported in said pocket, side-floats supported from and beneath the wings, and staff members mounted yieldingly at the fronts of said side floats and curving 5 downward and rearward as runners beneath the floats and above the tread plane of the central wheel, substantially as set forth.

3. In an amphibian airplane, the combination of a central flotation body, a hous- 10 ing in the bottom thereof a central landingwith the central wheel, substantially as set forth.

4. In an amphibian airplane, the combination of a central flotation body, a housing in the bottom thereof a central landing wheel therein, and staff members mounted yieldinglybeneath the outer portions of the wings, constituting landing balancers, said staff members being supported with their ground portions above the tread plane of said wheel forming lateral base angles for tilting on land, substantially as set forth.

GROVER C. LOENING. 

